Sliding door



4 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. J. LOHMAN. SLIDING DOOR.

Patented June 20, 1893.

(No Model.)

i wlw? .0... www?. m

(No Model.)

Patented June 20, 1893.

(No Model.)

H. J. LOHMANn SLIDING DOOR.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

No. 500,016. Patented June 20,1893.

(No Model.) 4 Bheets-.Sheet 4. H. J. LOHMAN. SLIDING DOOR.

No. 500,016. Patented June 20, 1893.

a a T UNrrnD STATES PATENT Ormea.

IIENRY J.V LOHMAN, OF MCKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

SLIDING DOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters Patent N0. 500,016, dated Tune 20, 1893 i Application filed November 3, 1892. Serial No. L50,829. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. LoHMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at McKeesport, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Sliding Doors for Buildings; and I do declare thefollowing to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the-letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this spec'ication.

My invention has relation to the construction of buildings and relates more particularly to the arrangement of a vertically-slidin g door or doors arranged within one large room or between two adjoining or connecting smaller rooms, and among the objects sought to be attained is to provide a simple and inexpensive arrangement of vertically-sliding doors which are adapted to be conveniently operated to divide the large room into two smaller rooms', or to throw the smaller rooms into communication with each other whereby I obtain practically one large room, which often becomes desirable for various purposes.

A further object of myinvention is to provide means whereby the door or doors will be prevented from falling in case of the breaking of the suspending ropes, and with the above and other objects in view which will become apparent from the descriptiongiven hereinafter, my invention Vconsists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, all as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, vand pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings; Figure 1 is a front elevation of a room provided with my arrangement of sliding doors, showing thelatter raised to close the opening between the adjoining rooms. Fig. 2is a similar view showing the doors lowered to throw the two rooms into communication with each other. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of Fig. 2 on line Qcand showing the carpet sill or threshold thrown open. Fig. 4 is a like view `showing the carpet sill or threshold closed. Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section of Fig. 2 on line @/--y` showing the connections between thedoors and the guideways. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a part ot' two ot' the doors on an enlarged scale showing one form of track, and the construction of the weight pockets and'pulleys, and the position of the same; Fig. 7 a similar View showing another form of track. Fig. Sis a detailed vertical section on line z-.e in Figs. 5 and 6. of one of the doors and its suspending ropes and weights and showing the pulleys or sheaves over which the ropes pass. Fig. lOis a detail view of -a device for locking or preventing the dropping of a door in case of a breakage of the ropes the device being shown in the unlocked position. Fig. 1l is a similar View of same as it appears locked. Fig. 12 is an edge view of Fig. 10.- Fig. 13 is a detail elevation ofa portion of one of the vertical extensions d2 on the lower ends of the doors and the hooks e, to which the weight ropes d, are fastened.

In adapting a building for the use of my arrangement of sliding doors or partitions, no radical changes are necessary in the construction of the walls or partitions thereof; and my improved arrangement of doors is more particularly intended to be used in buildings which are provided with roomslocated below the story on which the doors are arranged.

Another method of arrangement I shall describe is to arrange the guard pulleys in the face of the doors and near the lateral edges of the doors and on each side and put the track on the pocket jambs so the doors will work between the tracks and the pulleys travel upon the tracks; any ordinary L-track put up with screws will suttice.

In practice I would doubtless apply lnyinvention more generally to the class of buildings having 'a cellar or room below the main story or floor, since it will be evident that my invention is better adapted for such class of houses, and I shall so describe myinve'ntion.

A A indicate a portion of two Walls of a building or room; these walls may be constructed in the usual manner of studding or of brick according as said walls form the interior or the exterior walls of the building. Above the main door B ot the building said Fig. 9 is a detail perspective Viewl IOO I form an opening or slot C of a width suli` cient to readily and easily accommodate the doors D D D2 which fit within and are adapted to freely slide `vertically through saidK opening C. These doors, of WhichI show three in the drawings, are adapted'when raised as in Fig. 1 to divide the room intotwo smaller rooms, and when lowered,`as in Fig. 2, to throw said rooms int-o communication with each other, forming practically one,

large room.

It will be understood that although I have shown three doors I do not wish to be re-` stricted to the precise number employed, since a greater or less number may be used with equal facility, though, to secure perfect freedom and convenience in operation I would probably use three for a room of ordinary slze.

My `arrangement of sliding doors or vpar titions is specially adapted for Sunday school rooms, class rooms, halls, lodgerooms, or parlorswherecommunication between rooms is desired or smaller rooms preferred.

Each of the doors D, D' is provided on its edges with a tongue and grooveb, and c, re-1 spectively, whilethe door D2 is provided with twotongues b, oneven each edge, so that when the doors are fitted in position, tongueandA groove joints are formed between them,wbere` by said doors are adapted to be readily slid vertically1 upon each other or independently of each other each doorwhen at rest forming as it were a guide for the adjoining doors when the same are moved.

The tongue b,on the door D and the outer tongue b, on door D2 fit and are adapted to slide within theK guideways a, in the wallsv `For the purpose of balancing the doors to adapt them to be readily lowered or `raised when desired, I employ an arrangement of ropesand weights. l

In the drawings I have shown each of the doors as provided with four ropes or cords d, which are secured at one end tothe'hooks e, which are fastened tothe vertical extensions d2 of each door, said ropes thence passing up-v wardly and over sheaves E with Weights H attached vto the other end of roped; Asheaves Eiare mounted upon shafts or iaxles journaled in suitable boxes m2 and fastened to npper ends of Vthe weight pockets F by screws or bolts o. ASaid pockets F are built in walls G below main door B, said pockets forming` as it were a boxing toreceive` said sheaves E and `weights I-I.

To the opposite ends of the ropes d are se-i cured weights 4H the combined Weight of four of which should be suuicient to slightly overcome the Weight of the door suspended thereby, audsaid weights are fitted and adapted 7o to slide in the pockets Fon the opposite sides of the door.

To separate the `weights of `one door from the weights of the adjoining door and thus prevent any entanglement which would cause the improper working of the doors, I provide suitable separating strips f, in-the pocketsF as shown.

By the described arrangement of the bal` not render my arrangement unsightly.

For the purpose of renderingeasy the slid ing movements andprevent any vibration or with but little if any exertion raise and lower the doors when desired, and so` that any or all of the doors may be -operated `in depeudently or in conjunction, I preferably employ aucing oflthe doors said ropes d, and sheaves 8e` E are secreted below the floor B and thus do 4rattling of the doors, fsolthatra person may 85 the construction `and arrangement of.` tracks 9o and pulleysshown in Figs.`5, 6, and 7.

In Figp I show one of the doors provided at one of its edges'witha vertically arranged track or guard Iand the adjacent doorwith a like track or guard I. The tracks or guards I and I consist of a metallic rail or plate secured to the doors `byscrews t', and having the central projecting tongue b, and the lateral projecting tongues flwhich lie fiush with the face of the door. The `track I is substantially like trackI with the exception that it is formedwitha vertical socket or groovec, adapted to receive the ;tongueb,'onz track I. Between thepocketjambs F, F,;are aseries of grooved pulleys K suitablyjournaled in boxes Qand fastened to pocketfjambs F with screws S which, when the doors are lowered =work upon the track 112 thus rendering the Avertical movement ofthe doors smooth and easy. It will be understood thatwhen `the described construction of` trackis used, as in Figs. `5 and 6, `thengrooves andV tenons b, and c, described hereinbefore as being formed in -thedoors themselves fare rendered unnecessary.

Inasmuch as the" tracks IlandIzmust be specially constructed for use with the doors `I might for the sakeof cheapness employ the ordinary T-track as-seen.in Fig. 7, such yas are used with the horizontally sliding doors; inthis case the tongues b and grooves c, woul'd be formed and provided in the edges of the doors themselves, as in Fig. 7. Furthermore, by this arrangement the pulleys act tokeep the doors firm and `not liable to shake or rattlezand give them freeandleasy working.

To prevent the doors from; falling in case of a breakage of the suspending ropes d, and as a lock for the doors, I` employ a 'suitable catch or locking deviceas'seen in Figs. 10,11- and 12. j i

Fig. '10 shows the catch or lockturned down or unlocked, the top end ofwhich comes-flush IDO with the top of the :guard plate T which is fastened by screws w, w, to the top of the door the hole through the plate T -beiug large enough to admit of the heads 7i., when closed together; the fiange r, is riveted to the end of arm R and which is connected by a loose joint with arm or crank V; the rod WV is split as seen, at the top end, and the lower end is mounted upon a' cam center J which when turned half Way round brings the heads h up and through the plate t, which is fastened to the ceiling with screws u, and which has a slot large enough to admit of the heads 7L when closed as in Fig. 10, but when locked will appear as in Fig. ll; the handle g is to operate the lock by simply turning to the right on one side of the door and to the left on the other side; the handles g, g, are to be put on both sides of the doors and countersunk in the face of the doors within the escutcheons g2.

Fig. 12 shows the position of cam J, crank V, and escutcheon g2, which lat-ter is' let in iiush with the face of the door and has round openings in the back which slip over the square ends of the shaft or axle on which the handle works. The handle has a square hole in the back to fit over the square end of the axle or -cam roll P.

For the purpose of covering the opening C when the doors have been lowered,'I provide a wooden threshold or carpet sill U hinged as at o2 to the iloor at one side of the opening C and adapted to be thrown across and close the opening C to conceal the same. This sill U may be provided with rabbeted edges to allow it to tit snugly into the opening C.

In practice I would provide the doors at their upper ends with suitable spring handles, so that when the doors are down in the pockets they can be started upward.

The doors may each be provided with flush hand-holds or lifts IVI, M, at convenient points,

of any desired construction to enable the person to more readily operate the doors.

Fig. 13 shows the hooks e, at the lower extensions d2 of the doors to'which are fastened the weight ropes d, and said hooks are secured to the extensions by screws N.

I am aware that it is old to vertically slide doors either upward or downward, and I lay` no claim thereto, as they do not in any way answer the purposes of my invention..

If desired, I may provide any one of the doors with a hinged tly door D3 so that communication may be had between the two adjoining rooms when the doors D D D2 are in their raised position. l

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with the walls of a building provided with guideways as described, and a floor having a slotor opening extending the entire width of the room between said walls, of vertically-sliding doors arranged between the walls and adapted to slide through the opening in the iloor independently of each other, tongues and grooves on the edges of the doors connecting the latter with each other anid with the guideways in the Walls, vertical extensions at the lower ends of the doors, sheaves' mounted in boxes secured to Ythe studding below the iioor, cords or ropes secured at one end to the lower ends of the extensions and passing upwardly and over the sheaves and then downwardly between said studding, and weights secured to the opposite ends o f the ropes, all arranged for cooperation, substantially as and for the purpose specified. i

2. The combination with the walls ot' a building provided with guideways as described, and a Hoor having a slot or opening extending the en tire width of the room between'said walls, ot' vertically sliding doors arranged between the walls and adapted to slide through the openingin the oor independently of each other, tongues and grooves on the edges of the doors connecting the latter with each other and with the guideways in the walls,

vertical extensions at the lower ends of the doors, sheaves mounted in boxes secured to the studding below the oor, cords or ropes secured at one end to the lower ends of the extensions and passing upwardly and over the sheaves and then downwardly-between the studding, weights secured to the opposite ends of the ropes, grooved pulleys mounted in the studding below the iioor, and tracks secured to the doors at their adjacent edges and adapted to be engaged bythe pulleys, in the manner and for the purpose specied.

3.'The combination with the walls of a building provided with guideways as described, and a floor having a slot or opening extending the entire width of the' room between said walls, of vertically-sliding doors arranged between the walls and adapted to slide through the opening in the iioor independently of each other, tongues on the outer edges of the v doors adjacent to the walls and adapted to engage the guideways in thelatter, verticallyarranged tracks secured to the doors at their meeting edges, said tracks being constructed substantially as described and adapted to form a connection between the doors, grooved pull'eys mounted in the studding below the floor and adapted to engage the tracks, vertical extensions at the lower ends of the doors,

lOO

sheaves mounted in boxes secured to the l studding below the floor, cords or ropes secured at one end to the lower ends of the extensions and passing upwardly and over the sheaves and then downwardly between the studding, weights secured to the opposite ends of the ropes, all arranged for operation, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination with a door frame and va door adapted to slide vertically therein, of

a device for locking said door in its raised position, consisting of the rod W split or forked at its upper end and providedwith heads h, a cam bearing-upon which said rod is mounted at itslrlower end, ashaft carrying In testimonywhereof I affix my signature in .said cambearing and 4passing f through `the presence of twoiwitnesses. door,` a erankarm on said shaft and to which arm is kloosely jointed the lower end of rod R, lHENRY J. LOHMAN 5 `an operating handle carried bysaid sham-and* Witnessesaslottedplate with `whichis fadapted-tolen- W SWARTZWELDER gage `the heads h,.a-l1 -a1ra.nga;e"dffor` eoopera-f `tion, as-and for the purpose specified.

, CHARLES MOORE. 

